Clasp



G. s. HAWIE Dec. 27, 1938.

CLASP Filed Dec. 13, 1937 Patented Dec. 27, 1 938 v UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CLASP Gabriel S. Hawie, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The HawieManufacturing Co., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of ConnecticutApplication December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,587 5 Claims. (Cl. 24-250)This invention relates to improvements in jaw may consist of asubstantially rectangular clasps, and more particularly to a novel claspfor lower portion l6 which at its upper end merges use with suspendersor the like. into an intermediate portion l'l that in turn The primarypurpose of the invention is to merges into an upper portion l8 that isarranged 5 provide a clasp that may be opened fully simply substantiallyparallel to the portion it. The por- 5 by lifting a lever forming partthereof, so that tion I! is arranged on a slight incline relatively theclasp will accommodate materials of various to the portions [6 and i8,and serves to place the thicknesses from the thinnest to the thickestor- ,upper portion l8 in a position rearwardly offset dinarily used inclothing or the like. relatively to the portion l6.

10 Another object is to furnish an improved clasp Lugs IB-project fromthe upper end of the 10 which can be attached to or detached from theside edges of the portion l8 and slidably rest on garment much easierthan the clasps heretofore the upper edges of the ears l2 when the partsare known, due to the simple and positive operation assembled. of thelever. A third lug 20 projects upwardly from the A further object is tosupply a clasp of simple, upper edge of the jaw l4 and extends into the15 inexpensive construction, and one which will last slot 9 to assist inholding the parts in assembled indefinitely and not be liable to get outof order. relation.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with For suspending purposes, aloop or eye 2! has other objects in view which will appear as the alower fulcrum bar 22 which is confined by the description proceeds, theinvention consists in parts 6, l, and I8, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 20the novel features hereinafter described in deand 3. tall, illustratedin the accompanying drawing, and The clasp is completed by a lever 23,also prefmore particularly pointed out in the appended erably formed ofa piece of sheet metal. This claims. lever preferably consists of asubstantially rec- In the drawing, tangular plate portion 24 having aflange 25 at '25 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved its upperend arranged substantially at right anclasp shown suspended from aportion of a susgles to the plate portion 24, and projecting rearpenderand grasping a piece of material. wardly therefrom. The flange also hasoppositely Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the clasp, extendinglugs 26 fulcrumed in the openings 53 so partly in elevation, and showingthe same in to form a hinge connection between the parts 5 30 openposition. and 23. A third lug 2'! projects rearwardly from Fig. 3 is asimilar view with the clasp in closed the flange and extends into avertically disposed position, and shown gripping a piece of material.slot 28 in the jaw l4 for the purpose of assist- Fig. 4 is a perspectiveexploded view of the eleing in holding the jaw M in connection with thements from which the clasp-is made. jaw 5, and to enable the lever tofully open the 35 Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the base jaw M,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. or back piece of the clasp which ispreferably From the foregoing and from an inspection of formed of sheetmetal and comprises a rectangu- Fig. 4, the manner of assembling theparts will lar plate 6 having a top flange l and a bottom be clear tothose skilled in the art, and after the flange 8. These flanges arepreferably arranged parts are assembled, it will be evident that the toparallel to one another and extend forwardly jaw l4 may be opened widefor the introduction from the plate. At the junction of the flange l orremoval of the piece of material ll. Further and the plate, a slot 9 isprovided. more, when the lever is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, The flange8 has a fluted edge l0 forming blunt the jaws will act to effectivelyclamp a piece of teeth adapted to gently bite into apiece ll oftexmaterial, regardless of its thickness, so long as ill; tile fabricwhich may form part of a garment the thickness is of the degree usuallyfound in to be supported. clothing.

A pair of ears l2 project forwardly from the The herein described andillustrated embodlupper portions of the side edges of the plate and mentof the invention has given satisfactory reare provided with alignedapertures l3. sults, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the 50The member 5 forms one jaw of the clasp and art, after an understandingof the invention, that it cooperates with a second jaw [4 alsopreferably changes and modifications may be made without formed of sheetmetal. The jawl l has a fluted departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and flange l5 at its lower end to cooperate with the it isintended that all matters contained in the flange 8 in grasping thematerial II, and said above description or shown in the drawing, shall55' be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I Patent is:

1. A clasp comprising a back member forming a first jaw, said memberhaving upper and lower forwardly projecting flanges and side ears, theupper flange being slotted and the lower flange forming a, grippingedge, a second jaw arranged forwardly of the first jaw and comprisingupper, lower and intermediate portions, the intermediate portion beingarranged at an angle to the upper and lower portion, and the upper andlower portion being arranged substantially parallel, the upper endportion of the second jaw having oppositely extending lugs resting onsaid ears and supporting the second jaw for swinging movement about asubstantially fixed horizontal axis, and a projecting tongue extendinginto said slot, and a lever having its upper end portion projectingrearwardly and provided with oppositely extending lugs pivotally mountedin said ears, the second jaw being provided with a longitudinal slot,and the rearwardly extending portion of the lever having a tongueprojecting into the last mentioned slot and engageable with the Secondjaw for opening the latter when the lever is swung in a certaindirection relatively to the first jaw.

2. A clasp comprising a stationary jaw and a swingable jaw, meanspivotally connecting the upper end portions of the jaws and constrainingthe movable jaw to swing about a fixed axis, flanges arranged at thelower ends of the jaws and projecting toward one another for clamping agarment to the clasp, a lever arranged substantially parallel to saidjaws and having its upper end pivotally connected to the upper endportion of the stationary jaw, the movable jaw being slotted, and atongue projecting from the upper end of the lever into the slot andengageable with the movable jaw for swinging the movable jaw into awidely opened position when the lever is swung outwardly and upwardlyabout its pivot. I 3. A clasp comprising a stationary jaw and aswingable jaw, means pivotally connecting the upper end portions of thejaws and constraining the movable jaw to swing about a fixed axis,

claim, and desire to secure by Letters flanges arranged at the lowerends of the jaws and projecting toward one another for clamp ing agarment to the clasp. stantially parallel to said a lever arrangedsubjaws and having its upper end pivotally connected to the upper endportion of the stationary jaw, the movable jaw being slotted, and atongue projecting from the upper end of the lever into the slot andengageable with the movable jaw for swinging the movable jaw into awidely opened position when the lever is swung outwardly and upwardlyabout its pivot, the stationary jaw having oppositely disposedprojecting ears near the upper end thereof forming part of the pivotmeans of the lever.

4. A clasp comprising a stationary jaw and a swingable jaw, meanspivotally connecting the upper end portions of the jaws and constrainingthe movable jaw to swing about a fixed axis, flanges arranged at thelower ends of the jaws and projecting toward one another for clamping agarment to the clasp, a lever arranged substantially parallel to saidjaws and having its upper end pivotally connected to the upper endportion of the stationary jaw, the movable jaw being slotted, and atongue projecting from the upper end of the lever into the slot andengageable with the movable jaw for swinging the movable jaw into awidely opened position when the lever is swung outwardly and upwardlyabout its pivot, the movable jaw consisting of upper and lowersubstantially parallel portions connected togcther by an intermediateportion arranged at an angle'to both the upper and lower portions of themovable jaw.

5. A clasp comprising a stationary jaw provided with upper and lowerforwardly projecting flanges and side forwardly projecting aperturedears, a movable jaw having oppositely projecting lugs resting on saidears and turnable about a substantiallyfixed axis, the upper flange ofthe stationary jaw being slotted and the movable jaw having a projectingtongue extending into said slot to constrain the movable jaw to swingabout said substantially fixed axis, the movable jaw being provided witha longitudinal slot, and a lever arranged substantially parallel to saidjaws and having its upper end pivotally connected to said ears andhaving a tongue at its upper end projecting into the last-mentioned slotand cooperating with the movable jaw to hold the latter in closedposition or to open the movable jaw by a swinging movement of the latterwhen the lever is swung outwardly and upwardly relatively to thestationary jaw.

GABRIEL S. HAWIE.

